Towards a new understanding: the ‘Books Alive! multimedia project’

Talking stories on CD-ROM — How do they benefit their users?

“…Lewin, 2000, found that interactive storybook software would motivate children and expose them to the pleasures of reading. Medwell, 1996 andWood et al, 2003, also perceived the benefits of using a talking story, but noted that the positives are mainly limited to motivation and edutainment (a combination of education and entertainment).…”

“…Although the 'Let me play' option may not be suitable for some aspects of school based teaching, the talking stories can be used at home as a form as edutainment, as suggested by Wood et al, 2003. Despite this, parents or guardians should be aware that an interactive storybook may provide their children with more entertainment then education.…”